Some new videos for some interesting singles

The National - Mistaken for Strangers


Elvis Perkins - All the Night Without Love


Candie Payne - I Wish I Could Have Loved You More

album of the week: SHY CHILD - NOISE WON'T STOP / SHITDISCO - KINGDOM OF FEAR

Shy child is not a new band but it is for a lot of people, and they know it. That's why on their new album, the first one for Wall of Sound, they take some of the best songs of their previous record and some new. And the final result is so good. And they're going to be famous. At least for a season. Their sound is limited, syth'n'drums, but fresh and danceable. And comparisons to Klaxons, as they are touring with them and wear hoodies, are not valid (they were before and are from NYC) but unavoidable. Judge yourself:

Noise won't stop


Drop the phone


After some singles, Shitdisco release the first record. They don't have an increadible new sound so they sound more or less as a lot of people nowadays (LCD soundsystem, Gang of four and post-punk in general) but they have good melodies. They include both sides of the singles so they know these are their best songs.

Reactor Party


OK


I Know Kung Fu

Disco Blood

New videos

Here you have the videos for a couple of songs from two bands that I think that sound interesting.
The first one is for what is going to be the second single of Friendly Fires, released in two weeks. They also make an incredible cover of the Frankie Nuckles' Your Love. This one is called On Board



The second one is the video for the limited second single, already sold out, of Foals, Hummer

Holiday

Luis and me went for Holiday to Tarragona and Barcelona. Not many days, but at least some. Tom and Joe came for the weekend to. We spent some days with friends and went to the beach too. Here you have some pictures

album of the week: DAN DEACON - SPIDEMAN OF THE RINGS

I really don't know how to define this record. The only thing I know is that sometimes experimentation is not an enemy of great tunes that you will never forget, and here we have the prove. But I can also understand that some people can find this record so irritating. The combination of really high distorted sounds, analogical electronics, surf melodies, hippy-like hymns and cartoon noises to name just some characteristics, is not supposed to be for all kind of public, but the positive good energy and the pop background open the possibilities to be adored for the masses if they overcome the first listening. If you are patient and open-minded you have one of the records of the season here.

Grinderman live at the HMV store

And that's one of the good things of living in London. One day, at 2.00 in the afternoon, you have the opportunity of attending to a free Nick Cave concert, with Grinderman, at a music store. And not just a couple of songs. Seven songs in total (Don't forget that there's only one Grinderman record available). It was the first time I was able to see Nick Cave live as he doesn't perform live so frequently in Spain, but after the experience, I hope it's not the last one. He rocks!!!!...How old was he?

Low at Shepperd's Bush Empire

And after seeing Low, some months ago, in a small venue pre-presenting the new songs from their album Drums and Guns, the "official" presentation was here. And it couldn't be better. The "new sound" was only represented with Belarus. The rest of the songs were transformed live through the classic Low sound, slow tempo with dramatic guitar crescendos, but they felt more comfortable performing the songs that way. Some great remembering moments were Over the Ocean, Amazing Graze, Lust, Starfire or Two-step.

album of the week: THE TWILIGHT SAD - FOURTEEN ATUMNS AND FIFTEEN WINTERS

The first time I listened to these guys was live, opening in an acoustic show for Micah P. Hinson. I have to say that I was taken aback. The so Glaswegian accent of that guy shouting in the Union Chapel with the acoustic environment was so strange but also appealing and expecting to listen to the record. Once you listen to the record you realize that the acoustic format is not made for them as they cover the songs with electric explosions. And I can't imagine they could be from another place other than Glasgow. From the accent to the sound they seem not having been out from the Scottish city during their whole short lives (the influence of Mogwai or Arab Strap can be recognized). And we can imagine for their lyrics that these lives have been a bit tortured as well, as they make a full portrait of the adolescent period.

Fireworks Night and Benjy Ferree at the Spitz

When I bought the ticket for the Benjy Ferree gig I had no idea that the guests were Fireworks night, who made one of the best debut 7" of the last year (well, they have a self-released record). What I also didn't know was that they were about to play an acoustic set, just two of the members. They are going to play a normal show in some days as the support act for Charlie Parr, that I'm not going to miss. The show was ok, but I think that they have much more to offer in a normal show. The new record is going to be released at the end of May and I can't wait to listen to it. You can pre-listen some tracks in their myspace website:
http://www.myspace.com/fireworksnight
Watch the video for last year's single When we fell through the ice



The Benjy Ferree show was, as he could say, awesome. I was not able to understand his so American sense of humour, but apart from that, the performance, with a full band, was great. Watch the video for the single, and his best song so far, In the Countryside.

Rufus is tired of America

After the excessive but great Want One and Want two Rufus comes back with Release the stars, and this is the video for the first single Going to a town. He's coming to this town but it's already sold out.

album of the week: BJORK - VOLTA

I have to say that I surprise myself saying these words but Bjork’s new record is great. I used to be a Bjork fan long ago but record after record I started not to stand her voice and her pretentiousity, even more after the mostly unstoppable Medula. So I was not expecting anything, even less when the group of collaborations (Timbaland, Konono n1, Lightning bolt …) was announced and it took me by surprise. First the first single, Earth Intruders, her best single in ages, and then the second song I heard from the album, not only the most original song she’s ever made but also one of the best songs I’ve heard this year so far. This song is Declare Independence and it reminds me of the dark punk crescendo of Sonic Youth’s Flower updated in 2007. Noisy, political and threatening. But you can also find more good songs such as the two duets with Antony. And the strange thing is that maybe this is also her most commercial and simple record since Post and also her best, two things that do not always go together.
Watch this live presentation of the first single in a TV program: